Many tools have been developed over the years to enable the splitting of wood, such as logs or timber, with the aid of an impact tool, such as a mallet or hammer. Although some of these tools have provided adequate results, many of these tools suffer from several chronic problems or drawbacks. For instance, many of these tools are difficult to drive into a piece of wood and have mediocre penetration properties. Additionally, many tools disengage the wood piece too easily and accidentally “pop out” of the wood piece when the tool is impacted with a hammer or mallet, thereby creating a potential safety hazard. Many of these tools are designed with a primary emphasis on splitting the wood piece with a wedge action, with minimal cutting or penetrating action, which contributes to this disengagement problem.
The present invention addresses these and other concerns, and generally provides an improved wood-splitting tool, as will become apparent from the following written description, drawings, and claims.